A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains or may contain material which is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to the photocopy reproduction by anyone of the patent document or the patent disclosure in exactly the form it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office patent file or records, but otherwise reserves all copyright rights whatsoever.
The present invention relates in general to a gaming device, and more particularly to a gaming device having a multileveled offer/acceptance game, wherein the player can sequentially risk achieved awards for higher value awards based upon a successful result of an event.
Gaming devices currently exist with games and specifically bonus round games in which a player has one or more opportunities to select masked bonus awards from a pattern or group of masked awards displayed to the player. When the player selects a masked award, the player receives the value of the award, and the game typically displays a message that the player may continue and enables the player to select another masked award. The player then selects another masked award, and the process continues until the player selects a masked terminator. European Patent Application No. EP 0 945 837 A2 filed on Mar. 18, 1999 and assigned on its face to WMS Gaming, Inc. discloses a bonus scheme of this type.
Gaming machines also currently exist in which the game selects or determines the player""s award. PCT application number PCT/AU97/00121 entitled, Slot Machine Game with Roaming Wild Card, having a publication date of Sep. 4, 1997, discloses an example. In this application, a slot machine having a video display contains a plurality of rotatable reels with game symbols. When the player receives a triggering symbol or combination, the game produces a bonus symbol. The bonus symbol moves from game symbol to game symbol temporarily changing the game symbol to a bonus symbol. If the change results in a winning combination, the player receives an award.
In the first known game, the player blindly selects masked awards until selecting the bonus terminator, which is immediately displayed. The player knows nothing about the location of any particular award, and there is no logical incentive to select any particular masked award as opposed to any another masked award. Choosing a masked award also poses no risk to a previously accumulated award. That is, there is no incentive to stop selecting. The only logical course is for the player to continue selecting until selecting a terminator. The player""s involvement in the bonus round and thus the player""s level of enjoyment and excitement from the bonus round is thus limited.
The second known game has even less player interaction. The game completely determines the bonus round award, and the player has no effect on the outcome. The player is a mere observer to the bonus round sequence and participates only by receiving an award. In both games, the player is not prompted to calculate, weigh options or explore any consequences of any action. To increase player excitement and enjoyment, it is desirable to provide a gaming device, and more specifically a bonus round of a gaming device, which prompts a player to calculate, weigh options and explore the consequences of the player""s selection.
Another type of game allows players to accept or decline multiple award offers. TOP DOLLAR(trademark), which is manufactured and distributed by IGT, the assignee of this application, provides the player with three offers and a final award. When an offer is given, the player may accept or reject it by pushing an accept button or indicator or a reject button or indicator, respectively. If the player accepts an offer, the player receives the accepted bonus amount and the bonus round terminates. If the player declines an offer, the game generates another offer for the player.
In the known offer acceptance game, if the player accepts an offer, the game does not reveal what the outcome would have been had the player declined the offer. Revealing whether the player has made a good move or not is exciting for a player in either case. It is therefore desirable in a risk/reward or offer/acceptance type of game to reveal an outcome of an award generation or an award decision even if the generation or decision does not effect the player""s eventual award.
The present invention is a gaming device and preferably a bonus round game of a gaming device that provides an offer/acceptance type of game, wherein the player preferably knows all the necessary information to make an informed decision whether to risk a currently held award and attempt to obtain a higher value award. The player preferably knows the value of a currently held award or offer award, the value of the higher value award or success award, the value of a consolation award and preferably even the likelihood of success.
The game determines the success or failure of a game event regardless of whether the player risks the offer award. If a player decides to keep an offer award, the game still displays a success or failure outcome, so that the player can see what the player missed, good or bad.
The game also includes a plurality of levels or offers, wherein the player can sequentially trade up a currently held offer award a plurality of preferably predetermined times. In an initial level, the game preferably does not provide an offer to the player. If the player wins the success award from the initial level, the success award becomes the offer in the next level, and so on. The player can stop at any level and keep the current offer award. If the player risks an offer award and loses, the game preferably provides a consolation award to the player, ending the game.
The consolation award is preferably less than the offer that the player risks. The game can and preferably displays any combination of the offer award, success award, success probability and consolation award to the player. Knowing the offer award, the success award, the consolation award and even preferably the likelihood of success, the player can determine an expected value that enables the player to play an optimal strategy. Generally, the implementor of the game attempts to structure the database such that the expected value almost always dictates that the player take the risk. It is also possible that the design enables the player to see some but not all of these elements in any combination.
The present invention contemplates employing a plurality of different database structures. For each level, the success award is preferably randomly determined from a plurality of weighted values. As the levels increase, the average value of the success awards preferably increases. The likelihood of success, expressed in terms of odds or a probability can be predetermined or randomly determined, as can the consolation award. As the levels increase, the likelihood of success preferably decreases and the consolation award preferably increases. The offer award is preferably the success award from the previous level, although the present invention can predetermine or randomly determine the offer award for each level. In any case, the offer awards preferably increase as the levels increase.
The present invention is preferably embodied in a motorcycle daredevil jump bonus game, wherein the player is the motorcycle rider. The theme of the game queries whether the player is a daredevil, willing to risk a currently achieved award for the chance at obtaining a higher award. The game preferably provides the player with conditions that a motorcycle rider would want to know before attempting a jump, such as the length of the jump, what is being jumped, the wind conditions and the condition of the motorcycle. The game likewise provides the player with information pertinent to a decision to risk an award.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a gaming device having a multileveled offer/acceptance game, wherein the player can sequentially risk achieved awards for higher value awards.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a gaming device having a multileveled offer/acceptance game, wherein the game reveals the result of an award exchange determination even if a player accepts an offer and forgoes an opportunity to achieve a higher value award.
Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed disclosure, taken in conjunction with the accompanying sheets of drawings, wherein like numerals refer to like parts, elements, components, steps and processes.